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Editor’s note: The article was update with a statement by Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, a spokesperson of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.
North Korean soldiers appear to have temporarily withdrawn from one of the axes of the front in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, a Special Operations Forces (SOF) spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 27 as Pyongyang’s troops reportedly suffered significant losses.
The statement came after Sky News reported, citing a commander of a detachment of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center with a callsign "Puls," that North Korean troops have temporarily withdrawn from the contact line in the embattled Russian region .
Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, a spokesperson of the Special Operations Forces, clarified to the Kyiv Independent that the North Korean troops appear to have had to temporarily withdraw only from one of the axes of Kursk Oblast where the 73rd SOF Center is deployed.
North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces in countering a Ukrainian incursion launched in early August 2024. Ukrainian forces have continued fighting in the region, hoping to leverage their positions for potential negotiations.
North Korean forces are taking respite from hostilities, presumably to treat the wounded, wait for reinforcements, and work on mistakes made during the fighting in this sector, according to Sky News.
"Puls" assumed that this break will not last long and the North Korean military "will be back soon." The soldier also noted North Korean troops' high motivation and that they continued the offensive despite heavy losses.
North Korean soldiers were unaware of the threats from drones and artillery and attacked on foot in large groups, "like in World War II," becoming an easy target, "Puls" added.
There is poor coordination and a language barrier between North Korean and Russian troops barrier that has already led to North Korean soldiers targeting Russian positions, according to the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian forces take DNA samples from killed North Korean soldiers to confirm their participation in Russia's war in Ukraine.
South Korean intelligence announced at the end of January that Pyongyang was planning to send more troops to Russia to participate in the war.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, also said previously that Pyongyang is preparing reinforcements, mainly gun and rocket artillery units. The New York Times reported that according to an undisclosed U.S. official, fresh North Korean troops could arrive within two months.
Martin Fornusek
